Do You Only Rise to the Occasion?

Motivation has been on my mind a lot in recent weeks. I know I recently wrote about whether motivation is born within us or learned. (I hope you’ll take a few minutes to review that article). As an avid Vancouver Canucks fan, I watched the Boston game this past Saturday where the Canucks were on their game, followed by Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers, where the game was slow and unexciting. The rivalry for the Bruins game was high, especially after the Stanley Cup Finals in June 2011. On the other hand, getting that same motivation for a team that most likely isn’t a play-off contender, and they only play once a year is a lot more difficult.

This got me thinking about we, as humans, ebb and flow in our motivation for different situations. When there is a lot at stake or when you are highly passionate about a particular task or project, your level of engagement also increases. The opposite happens when it is a task you dislike or have little passion for.

In his book, Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, Brian Tracy suggests we ‘eat the frog’ first thing each day before doing anything else. The ‘frog’ is that task or project that you are least motivated to do, yet when accomplished will have a large pay-off and free your mind to be more productive and innovative. This approach takes practice and discipline. Like you, I frequently procrastinate on these ‘less than ideal’ tasks but they are never far from my mind. Once accomplished, I feel the relief and freedom to move forward.

Another way to help your level of motivation is to create the systems you need to make things easier. Systems provide a framework that streamlines how you do things, particularly repetitious items. Many people don’t take time to set up their systems because they know what and how to do things. Creating a good system allows you to accomplish tasks more efficiently because you know what you need to do, what information is recorded or how to solve a problem.

When I work with my clients, each of whom are successful in their own right, we spend a lot of time identifying and implementing the systems needed so they can delegate, lead and achieve more with their team. They also create a strong foundation to grow into the next promotion, hire a new employee or leverage their time and efforts to make more money.

As I work with each person, I offer a different perspective, untied to the process itself but focused on how the systems currently in place, and any we implement, are tracking the right information, providing the right feedback and offer a lot of value. When you systematize recurring events or tasks, clients report they gain clarity, control and time efficiencies.

Take time to set up the systems in your life or business and gain the benefits they bring, and reduce the number of ‘frogs’ you have to face each morning! Systems will also allow you to keep focused on the areas you are passionate about, keeping your motivation higher and more consistent.